The pile of almonds Virgo had shelled in the forest clearing taunted my hungry stomach. My claws weren't nimble enough to transport them to my mouth without dropping to the ground. Only a few hours passed since I woke up as a dragon, and I already hated it. I felt clunky and useless.

Virgo placed a straw bowl in front of me, then turned back to her assortment of fruits and veggies collected in baskets nearby.

"How about a strawberry?" she said.

My mouth watered just looking at the plump fruit, red skin taut and unblemished. Already, I could taste its perfectly sweet juice. My claws pinched one and slowly raised it to my lips. At the last moment, my claws wiggled past each other, and the berry slipped onto the grass. I let out a grunt of annoyance. The dragon's own body couldn't satiate my new monstrous appetite.

You just need to take charge, the dragon's voice said.

That had nothing to do with this, I thought.

Sure it does. You can eat the food off the ground.

My nose wrinkled.

Come on, it's not that bad. Desperate times call for innovative solutions.

I focused on Virgo. She glanced between the baskets of food in front of her before finally reaching for a handful of kale leaves. "Here, eat this. It's easier to pick up than the berries."

I stared at it. It was far from a replacement for strawberries. I remember Lani once made us a kale power bowl for breakfast. Despite all the spices, herbs, and bacon she added, nothing could mask the bitter, crunchy taste of kale. After that, we both agreed to stick to cereal, toast, or pancakes.

"Uh, I think I'll pass," I said, hoping to gracefully decline.

"It is very important for dragons to get lots of calcium in their diet," Virgo insisted. "At a minimum, you should eat four cups per day."

My heart sank, and so did my appetite. Four cups of bitter veggies were more than I could bear. "It's okay, I'm not really hungry anymore."

"Then you must eat it tonight for dinner," Virgo said. "It is vital that you keep up your health, otherwise you really won't be getting back to your sister."

I sighed. She was probably right. I couldn't get back to Lani if my health was deteriorating.

No, it's gross! the dragon screamed.

That settled it. If eating kale would get me away from this dragon sooner, I'd do it.

What, you don't like me? the dragon whined.

No, I told it.

The dragon harrumphed, but I ignored it. I never asked to have some voice in my head bossing me around. I was just fine the way I was, no matter what it thought.

But you're so timid! the dragon said. You need to—

Be quiet! I commanded.

The dragon chuckled to itself. Now that's what I want to see.

I started to roll my eyes but stopped when I noticed Virgo watching me. She said nothing, but her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"What?" I said.

"Nothing." She went about gathering all the nut shells and fruit peels that remained after the meal. All I could think was that her expression did not mean "nothing."

A mound of trash collected between us. I glanced at her hands, at least half the size of mine. Oddly enough, they reminded me of my hands, my human hands.

My human self.

Anxiety pricked my skin. I just wanted to get off this island and be normal again.

"Here." I shoved my cupped paws toward Virgo. "I'll discard that for you."

"Thank you." Bit by bit, she scooped the remnants into my clutch, the back-and-forth motion soothing my nerves. The pile grew in my palms, a mosaic of orange, red, and brown.

"I compost all food scraps," Virgo said. "They make very nutritious mulch for my plants."

She spoke like she owned the entire forest. I supposed she did, since she was the only resident on the island. She cared for it, looked out for its needs, ensured it was healthy and growing. That didn't negate the strangeness of the thought. Everything seemed to be so wild and free. The prospect of a person owning the jungle, like a dog or a cat, felt laughable.

"Come with me," Virgo said once the last of the scraps were placed in my paws.

I pushed myself upward, using the force of my hind legs, and followed Virgo into the trees. Yesterday, I would've called the forest eerie, even scary. Now I'd call it a pain—literally. Branches hit my forehead no matter how much I crouched down. Twigs and bark scraped my scales every chance they got. And my huge feet caught on shrubs so that my body lurched forward, sending a few nut shells or fruit peels into the sea of decomposing matter underfoot.

Virgo brushed yet another vine aside that hung from a tree branch. It was so low that even the petite Star Guardian ducked while going under it. She swung to the side, holding the vine back like a curtain. I hunched over, practically in a ball, to pass underneath.

"Careful!" Virgo said.

I glanced up. At that moment, something hooked over my paw. I fell forward, my stomach smacking the ground. Ouch!

A root protruded from where I just stepped. Tears of frustration and pain stung my eyes.

"Are you alright?" Virgo asked.

"I can't stand being in this dragon's body!" I yelled. "I can't stand being so big and clumsy!"

Virgo's eyes looked me up and down. "You're rather small for a dragon."

Daggers pierced my gaze, but Virgo ignored me. Her knees sank to the ground, and she began picking up the scattered food scraps. Glancing down at my paws, I realized they were now empty.

"I'll gather these," Virgo said. "Just hold your paws out so I can fill them."

A minute later, we continued our trek, this time more careful to watch for tripping hazards. Finally, we arrived at a ditch of old food particles in various stages of decay. Worms writhed their way over large apple cores and yellow peels, ducked through finer brown particles, dissolved remnants of the former. As a whole, the wriggling white creatures contrasted the rich, rainbow-studded soil like woven thread. If I thought the forest smelled bad, this was the mother of its putrid odor. It was so strong, the acridness crept onto my tongue. I quickly dumped the scraps in my paws, letting it tumble down the ditch's steep sides to join the others. I wasn't sure how long I could breathe here.

"What now?" I asked.

Virgo stared into the forest, silent for a long moment. I took tiny breaths to mitigate the compost's smell, but it only grew stronger. The stench suffocated me, along with my lack of oxygen. My lungs shrieked for fresh air.

Just tell Virgo to hurry up and get out of there, the dragon said.

I might have if I could breathe properly.

"I'll see if I can get you home," Virgo said at last, facing me.

Ordinarily, I would've cheered at her words. But I was too focused on the terrible smell to react. Virgo glided away, her silky robe trailing on the ground. My feet pounded in large, hurried strides to catch up before she disappeared in the trees. As the smell of compost faded, I registered what she had said. A spark of excitement went through me. I had been away from Lani far too long.

"Are we leaving right now?" I asked.

"No," Virgo said. "I need to orient myself first. It's been a while since I've given directions to someone."

My eyes swished past the vegetation. "How come so few people find this place?"

"Its impurities repel mortals."

"Oh." I fell quiet. It made little sense that I found the island when no one else could.

Virgo glanced at me in her peripheral. "You're probably wondering why the island didn't repel you, correct?" A shy smile tugged at my lips, and she nodded in return. "That's what I want to know, too."

Two boughs arched overhead, leaves twisted around like tassels. We passed below, a symphony of snaps and crackles underfoot. Beyond, three trees craned their broad trunks outward. Wedged between were a pile of enormous boulders, each a kaleidoscope of tiny rocks.

"It might have something to do with your belt."

I jolted from my reverie to look at Virgo. It took a moment to grasp that she was still on the topic of why I landed on her island.

"In fact," she continued, "the belt could've functioned as a magnet."

"Because it's from Pisces?" I said.

"Exactly."

I wasn't sure how to respond. I knew little about Pisces' belt, and nothing of any magnetic abilities it might have. Though he did say it would keep me from harm...perhaps I washed up on Virgo's island because it was the safest place for me.

But that didn't make sense. Virgo's island was cursed, far from safe.

"Those are one of the worst remnants of the curses."

I blinked back to reality, my gaze focusing on the rocks. I realized that I'd been staring at them the entire time.

"How come?" I said, still a little spacy.

"Because I can't remove them." Virgo's perfect posture seemed to sag from the weight of her problem, as if each bolder were dropped on her shoulders. "I'm not..."

"Strong enough?" I offered.

She smiled slightly. "Yes. In case you couldn't tell, I'm rather slight in stature."

Virgo was right. She was barely five feet tall, and though her arms were toned from many days of island labor, they weren't strong enough to handle the boulders. However...

"I might be able to take care of them." Immediately after saying it, I regretted it. What was I thinking? The boulders had to weigh more than a thousand pounds.

There's no way that I can lift those.

Of course there is, the dragon objected. You got this!

Virgo's face lit up. "Really? You'd do that?"

Oh dear. What had I gotten myself into?

"Well..."

"Can you at least try?" Virgo wouldn't admit it, but there was a hint of desperation in her voice. This obviously meant a lot to her, she needed them to be cleared.

I couldn't resist her pleading. "Alright. I'll try."

Yes! Go get 'em, girl, the dragon cheered.

Shut up, I told it. I didn't ask for a cheer squad. That dragon really grated on my nerves.

Knowing that it had won the battle, the dragon piped down.

I sized up one of the smaller rocks. By smaller, I mean it was only half my size, compared to the rocks that were double my size. It protruded from the pile enough for me to wedge my paw behind. Something skittered over my scales, and I yanked back.

"Is something wrong?" Virgo asked.

"It's just some...bugs." I inspected my paw for critters, flipping between the top and bottom sides, but none remained.

Quit being squeamish. Bugs are normal, the dragon said.

"Are there any other cursed insects on this island?" I asked.

Worry laced Virgo's face. "There could be."

Apprehension dampened my will to help. I didn't want to become any more cursed than I already was.

"How about you start from the top of the pile and roll the rocks onto the ground?" Virgo suggested. "Then you won't stick your paws in any crevices. And it lessens the risk of the rocks tumbling to the ground from a loss of foundational support."

"Good idea." I leapt for a branch on the tree, wrapping my arms around it. I pulled myself onto the next branch, then the next, until I hovered over the rocks.

Virgo edged toward the arbor. "I think I'm out of range from the rocks."

Just in case, I positioned my hands on the nearest boulder so it would fall in the opposite direction. Mustering all my strength, I pushed the rock.

The force nearly sent me to the ground with it. The boulder moved with ease, the weight of a bowling ball. It crashed onto a fallen branch with a crack. Splinters flew everywhere.

"Wow, that was way lighter than I expected," I said.

"Dragons have many more muscles than humans do," Virgo said. "Even the weaker ones are at least three times as strong as the average human adult. After all, they have to be able to carry themselves in the air."

"I guess so." A chuckle burst from my lips. "These rocks just seem so big. I can't believe it moved."

"You're much stronger than you realize." For some reason, I wondered if she wasn't just referring to the rocks. But she threw on an angelic smile and quickly said, "I'm going to tend to some nearby plants. Let me know if you need anything."

My work turned to a rhythm of hopping between tree branches, bracing my muscles, and shoving the rocks. A thud echoed with each fall. Somehow, the boulders landed in one piece and didn't break into a million pieces. I could only assume it was part of their curse.

It was nice to do some work like this for a change, though I could never do it every day. It was too formulaic, too methodical. The fact that Virgo woke every morning and did the same thing day in and day out was mind boggling. She owned the island, but in a way she was also its servant. I preferred to be more like the ocean—free.

"How did all these rocks get here?" I asked.

Virgo sighed from across the clearing. "There once was a pathway through the jungle. One curse on this Island was for all the stones to be gathered into these massive rocks. I've always wanted to break them down and turn them back into a pathway, but they were always too heavy for me."

I pushed another rock from the trees. "Can't you just ask one of the other star guardians for help? Like Taurus, he's literally a bull."

"There are many reasons, and each is unique to each of the star guardians."

Her normally placid tone was taught with something, perhaps irritation or sorrow. I sensed she didn't want me to press the issue, but I couldn't help myself. I paused my work, angling my body toward her.

"Why doesn't Taurus help?"

"For one thing, he doesn't really see the need to restore the Island. And even if he did, he's...how do I put this...rather stuck in his own way of doing things."

Virgo didn't pause her meticulous trimming of the bushes, creating the illusion that she didn't care if the other guardians helped her. But loneliness screamed behind her armor. She wanted someone else to help, even if it was only for a day.

"Okay, well, why doesn't Pisces help?"

Virgo's chest rose and fell with another sigh. "Many of the signs say that they want to help. For example, Pisces has been telling me for years that he's going to come and help. But many have a tendency to procrastinate." Her fingers froze by a jagged twig, about to pluck it. When she continued, her voice sounded distant, many islands away. "I remember those first hundred years of restoration. So many said they'd come. And I looked for them every day."

An invisible weight dragged her head down, her trance broken. I doubted she was used to sharing so much with someone. In fact, she probably hadn't had a proper conversation in a hundred years.

"They never came," Virgo finished. "After a while, I realized that if this island was going to be restored, it would be all my work."

As if to punctuate her statement, her fingers pulled the stray twig from the bush. Leaves floated to the forest floor.

My heart ached for Virgo. It must have been awful taking on such an enormous project on her own. All these centuries, hope and determination drove her to give life back to this forest, to this floating mass in the sea. I couldn't help but admire her. She'd made so much progress all on her own. She followed her dreams, even when no one else would support her.

I wish I could be more like that.

I was more of a "follow the crowd" type. I wanted to dream big, but didn't know what to dream of. Even now, I was blindly following what my parents decided for me, even though I hated the idea. I didn't want to be a journalist. I wanted something more. There had to be something else out there, another career that would give me purpose, breathe life inside my veins.

Did it even matter if I found it? My ambitions would probably be dashed at the slightest signs of opposition. I was no Virgo. And I definitely wasn't a confident, defiant dragon. I was...Kiara. Just Kiara.

"I'll help destroy the curses." The words tumbled out of my mouth before I thought twice about them.

Virgo whipped around, disbelief written on her face. But her initial surprise relaxed into a sad smile.

She didn't believe me.

"That's very kind of you. But I understand if—"

"I am willing to make an exchange," I interrupted. "I'll stay here for the next few days, move all the rocks, and break them into small pieces. Then, you will take me to the Gemini."

Virgo was stunned by my proposition. Finally, she lifted her chin, lips pressed to keep from shaking. "I can't take you to the Gemini."

"What? Why not?" I cried.

After all this time, she'd led me to believe that she'd get me to the Gemini. The twins were my only hope of getting home. I had to find them. They had to change me back.

"I can't leave this Island," she said. "Its condition must be monitored every day. I can't afford any curses to return. But I will tell you the way to the Gemini."

"Deal," I said.

Virgo eyed me. "I'm going to help you regardless of whether you help, not because of an exchange. Work is best done from a genuine desire to help, not based on half-hearted promises. I can give you directions to the Gemini today, and you will be home in no time."

"I know." My lips parted in a grin, brushing the fangs on either side of my mouth. "But considering that you might not have another visitor for the next century, I should destroy the curses from these blocks."